Fifteen years ago, jammers were considered expensive equipment and the most common function in government or nation-states. But now, cheap, low-power jammers are everywhere, and these cheap jammers are flocking to cheaper and more reliable consumer electronics, such as WiFi routers and smartphones. Although the military GPS system is more flexible than its commercial counterparts, it cannot be 100% guaranteed, especially for powerful jammers.
The $25 domestic jammer found on the Internet can block GPS signals around the car, while a two-watt or three-watt jammer the size of a cigarette box can block hundreds of GPS signals. Joe Rolli, who runs Signal Sentry, the Exelis GPS jammer detection program, said the U.S. dollar could encircle several city blocks.
These phenomena are very common signs: In 2013, a New Jersey truck driver wanted to hide his location from his boss. He used a GPS jammer. Every time he passed by, it accidentally blocked the air traffic control at Newark Airport. The authorities found the driver and was fined $32,000 by the Federal Communications Commission.
